Public School Teachers Could Be More Disgruntled Than Ever: Survey

An education survey found public school teachers are more unsatisfied with their work, with a majority who would not recommend their careers to others.

EdChoice, an organization that supports school choice, released its sixth annual Schooling in America survey earlier in December. The teacher portion of the survey asked 777 public school teachers between Sept. 25 and Oct. 7 their opinions on standardized tests, school choice policies and their professional experiences through online interviews. It did not include private school teachers.

Nearly 75 percent of public school teachers, classified in the survey as non-promoters, would not go out of their way to recommend their careers to others, or would even discourage it, according to the findings.

Co-author Michael Shaw referred to a 2012 MetLife Survey, which found public school teacher satisfaction hit the lowest in the last 25 years at the time of the survey. But the EdChoice findings “indicate teacher satisfaction may be even lower since 2012,” Shaw said, the Watchdog reported.

Over 70 percent of surveyed teachers wanted increased salaries. They trusted students and principals more than parents, union leadership and the Department of Education at the state and national levels.

Thousands of teachers, students and union allies marched through downtown Los Angeles ahead of a possible strike next month. SHUTTERSTOCK/ Karl_Sonnenberg

When it came to salaries and pensions for teachers, “if pushed to decide, they would prefer higher salaries over larger pensions.”

Over half of the teachers surveyed also opposed mandatory union representation or agency fees.

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